- VRM Help Center

About One Time Messages

One Time Messages can be sent by selecting Welcome Home > One Time Message and following the steps in the wizard. While Event Messages are intended to be repeated based on specific triggers within the system, One Time Messages are intended to be sent only once or on specific occasions based on templates created beforehand.

Welcome Home Lite only supports email messages. For Welcome Home Complete subscribers, text messages can be sent.

Choose Message Targets

The first step in sending a One Time Message is to choose the overall message we will send.

For the "User Type", you can choose "Guests" or "Owners". Choosing "Guests" will limit the messages to guest reservations. If the option "Owners" is selected, the "Property Type" will be disabled.
Choosing the "User Type" option "Guests" will permit the property type to be selected as "Short Term Properties" or "Long Term Properties". This option is not available for "Owners" at this time.
After choosing the "User Type" and "Property Type", the "Message Templates" drop down will populate with templates that you have previously created. If you choose "--New Blank Message--", no template will be used. If a template is used, you will be brought directly to the "Prepare Message" screen as other criteria will have already been selected based on the template.
If you would like to create a template, you can click the "Edit Templates" link. Newly created templates will not appear unless you return to the page or choose new options from the drop downs. (That is, the templates drop down does not automatically refresh when new templates are added without revisiting the page.)
When you are ready to proceed, click the 'Next' button. If you are not using a template, you will be brought to the "Choose Message Category" screen. If you are using a template, you will skip to the "Prepare Message" screen.

Choose Message Category

If a template is not selected, the second step in the One Time Message wizard is the message category selection. There are four types of message categories.

Administrative
An informative message that does not include financial or marketing information. Guests cannot unsubscribe from this message type. By using this message type, you agree that the message does not contain any commercial, financial, or marketing related information.
Financial
A message containing financial information related to reservations, properties, or similar reports. This is separated from the Administrative message type because sometimes multiple Welcome Home guests will be on a reservation and the main guest may not want the other recipients to receive financial messages. This message must not be commercial in nature.
Marketing
A message containing promotional information. To use this category for emails, you agree that the message must not contain any false or misleading information, must clearly indicate that the message is an advertisement or solicitation, and must contain valid contact information to reach your company -- including your physical address. Failure to comply with marketing disclosure requirements can lead to fines or exclusion from using Welcome Home features.
Emergency
This is a message sent to guests to warn them of unexpected events that require immediate action, e.g. inclimate weather events, service interruptions, hurricane preparedness, etc. This message must not be commercial in nature.

Choose Message Type

Email and Text Messages are the two message types. When using email messages, you will be permitted to include HTML (formatted content) and a subject for the message. Text messages are plain text only so cannot contain images or formatted text. Text messages are only available with Welcome Home Complete.

Prepare Message

If you chose to send a message based on a template, you will be immediately directed to this screen. This screen will show either an HTML editor for email messages or a plain text field for text messages. Text messages should be limited to 160 characters.

Below the editor, you will find links to show message tags. These tags will differ between the target types, e.g. owners versus guests or long term versus short term messages.

For example, to include the reservation ID for the specific message recipient, you can include the [RESERVATION_ID] tag. Please see our Welcome Home Tags article for a list of available Welcome Home tags you can use for One Time Messages.

Limit Message Targets

Based on your initial selections, the final target selection screen will differ.

Every One Time Message type allows the selection of properties to be limited. By default, all applicable properties will receive the message based on whether short terms or long terms were selected. However, this can be limited to specific properties. If sending to short terms, only short term properties will be listed. If sending to long terms, only long term properties will be listed.
When sending to short term or long term reservations for guests or owners, the reservation status can be limited. The available options will change based on additional target selections.
The first screen of the One Time Message wizard determines which options will be made available. This can be either short term guests, long term guests, short term owners, or long term owners.

Short Term Guest Reservations

Short Term Guest Type	Criteria
For Guests Currently Checked In	This message will only be sent to guests that are actively checked in at this very moment. As such, only the "Checked In" reservation status will be available.
Guests Checking In Between	This option allows the selection of guests that will be checking in between specific dates. This uses the reservation start date. This is considered inclusive, e.g. 01/01 to 01/02 would include reservations checking in on 01/01 but would also include reservations checking in on 01/02. It is possible to use dates in the past for target guests that stayed at the property in the past. Every reservation status is available except Cancelled.
Guests Checking Out Between	This option works exactly the same as the "Guests Checking In Between" option, but it targets the reservation end date instead of the start date.
Specific Reservations	It is possible to use this option to send to a specific reservation ID for a guest or a comma separated list of reservation ID values, e.g. "500,1000,1001,2000". Do not include spaces between the comma separate list items.

Long Term Renter Leases

Long Term Guest Type	Criteria
For Active Leases (Checked In)	Active leases are long term reservations that are currently checked in. This will only send to renters that are actively checked into the property so only the "Checked In" reservation status will be available.
Leases Active Between	This option allows the selection of renters that will be considered checked-in at a property between specific dates. This uses the reservation start date. This is considered inclusive, e.g. 01/01 to 01/02 would include reservations checking in on 01/01 but would also include reservations checking in on 01/02. It is possible to use dates in the past for renters that stayed at the property in the past. Every reservation status is available except Cancelled.
Leases Expiring Between	This option works exactly the same as the "Leases Active Between" option, but it targets the reservation end date instead of the start date.
Specific Reservations	It is possible to use this option to send to a specific reservation ID for a renter or a comma separated list of reservation ID values, e.g. "500,1000,1001,2000". Do not include spaces between the comma separate list items.

Short Term Owners

The short term owner reservations here are only applicable to owner reservations and not guest of owner reservations. Guest of owner reservations are handled using guests as the target.

Owner Type	Criteria
Owners Currently Checked In	This message will only be sent to owner reservations that are actively checked in at this very moment. As such, only the "Checked In" reservation status will be available.
Owners Checking In Between	This option allows the selection of owners that will be checking in between specific dates. This uses the reservation start date. This is considered inclusive, e.g. 01/01 to 01/02 would include reservations checking in on 01/01 but would also include reservations checking in on 01/02. It is possible to use dates in the past for target owners that stayed at the property in the past; however, in these scenarios, it may be best to limit the targets to a specific set of properties and send using the "All Active Owners" criteria instead. Every reservation status is available except Cancelled.
Owners Checking Out Between	This option works exactly the same as the "Owners Checking In Between" option, but it targets the reservation end date instead of the start date.
Specific Owner Reservations	It is possible to use this option to send to a specific reservation ID for a owner or a comma separated list of reservation ID values, e.g. "500,1000,1001,2000". Do not include spaces between the comma separate list items.
All Active Owners	This will send messages to all active owners associated with the selected properties. This is based on property ownership and is not tied to reservations.

Long Term Owners

One Time Message options for long term owners are limited to the "All Active Owners" option because there are no owner specific long term leases. This will allow sending to all active long term owners based on the selected properties.

Preview Message

The message preview screen allows you to see a list of One Time Message targets prior to the message being sent.

It is possible to preview your message content from the Preview Message screen.
If you would like to change the list of selected message targets for your message, click the 'Edit Targets' or 'Back' button to return to the previous screen to select new targets, change date ranges, etc.
The recipient grid will show information related to each recipient. The Reservation ID will be -1 for property ownership messages. For reservation based messages, the reservation ID will be displayed.
The first name and last name of each guest or owner will be displayed to make sure the correct targets are being selected. If the preview recipient list is too long or short, return to choose new targets.
The contact information for the guest or owner will be shown. This will be either an email address or cell phone number. Clicking the eyeball icon will change the preview for the message to show the specific guest or owner information as it will be populated in the message. Click the red cancel button will allow the removal of recipients prior to the message being sent.
When everything is confirmed, click the "Send Message" button to put the message into the queue for sending.

Release 7.10 - Welcome Home One Time Message Updates

Welcome Home One Time Message Scheduled Delivery

This functionality is available for Welcome Home Lite and Welcome Home Complete users.

Welcome home one-time messages are accessed by selecting the ‘One Time Message’ welcome home menu option.

When configuring a one-time email or text message a new configuration option labeled as ‘Send Later’ displays.

This new functionality allows vacation rental employees the ability to set a specific date and time in the future when a message will be sent.

When the vacation rental employee applies their mouse cursor within the ‘Send Later’ field a pop-up calendar with a time configuration displays.

The vacation rental employee can set a specific day and time when the message will be sent.

Text and email one-time messages can be configured with a date and time configuration to be sent.

A new ‘Pending Logs’ tab has been added to the welcome home logs window.

The welcome home logs window is opened by selecting the ‘Logs’ menu option from the ‘Welcome Home’ menu.

One-time messages scheduled to be sent in the future will display entries when viewing the ‘Pending Logs’ tab.

Message entries will populate based on the one-time message ‘Scheduled Delivery Date’ value.

The following values will display per each message entry: Message Type, Event Type, Event Start Date, Event End Date, Scheduled Delivery Date, Message Subject Value, Message Body.

Message Type: The message type value will indicate whether the message is an ‘Email’ or a ‘Text’ message.
Event Type: The event type value will identify if the message is for a specific owner or a specific guest reservation or if the event is based on guest or owner reservations checking in or checking out for a specific time frame.
Event Start Date: The event start date value is the start date of the time frame the message is configured to be sent.

Example: A message is configured to be sent to all reservations checking in between the period of March 1, 2023, to March 7, 2023. The event start date value would display a value of March 1, 2023.

Event End Date: The event end date value is the end date of the time frame the message is configured to be sent.

Example: A message is configured to be sent to all reservations checking in between the period of March 1, 2023, to March 7, 2023. The event end date value would display a value of March 7, 2023.

Scheduled Delivery Date: This is the date and time the message is scheduled to be sent.
Subject: This is the email message subject value. A text message will display a blank subject value.
Body: The body value will display the body content of the email or text.

If the vacation rental employee decides to cancel a scheduled message from being delivered, they can select the message checkbox and then select the ‘Remove Selected’ button. This action will delete the future message entry.

Welcome Home One Time Message Attachments

Email attachments can be applied to one-time welcome home email messages.

Attachments can be applied to emails when using welcome home lite or welcome home complete.

Welcome home one-time messages are accessed by selecting the ‘One Time Message’ welcome home menu option.

Email attachments can be applied to short-term and long-term guest and owner one time email messages.

When configuring a one-time email message an ‘Add Files’ button has been applied at the bottom of the email configuration window.

Up to five email attachments can be applied to a single one-time email message.

When selecting the files to attach to the email, if the vacation rental employee holds down the shift key multiple files can be selected and applied at the same time.

Once the files to apply have been selected, the vacation rental employee is required to select the ‘Upload Attachments’ button.

Selecting the ‘Clear’ button will remove the uploaded files from the one-time email message.

Once the ‘Upload Attachments’ button is selected the uploaded files will be applied to the one -time email message as email attachments.

The vacation rental employee can view or delete any individual attachment by selecting the delete or view image icons in the upper right-hand corner of each attachment.

Welcome Home - One Time Messages

Summary